Ehlinger Was Always Elite

Sam Ehlinger at the Opening Regionals in Houston. (Will Gallagher/IT)

Last week long-time Texas commit and Austin Westlake signal-caller Sam Ehlinger competed in the Elite 11 finals.

The Elite 11 is the original and premier high school quarterback competition in the country. When I was a recruit, becoming an Elite 11 quarterback was like being inducted into the high school football hall of fame (as if one existed). Being invited and performing well solidified legendary status for yourself, in my mind, similar to Paul Bunyan and John Henry. It was almost like there’d always be someone somewhere talking about how great you once were — immortalized in American folklore forever.

I know that sounds dramatic; welcome to the 18-year-old mind of Chris Hall.

As a high school athlete my whole world revolved around football and my social status. Being recognized on a national stage (like the Elite 11) would have been an dream for me. Good thing I didn’t play quarterback and had zero chance of that happening: my head didn’t need to grow any larger.

It doesn’t seem like Ehlinger is in any danger of thinking too much of himself, though. During the Elite 11 finals he was named “Most Coachable” — which speaks well of his humility and future in the game of football. Being called “coachable” is nearly the highest compliment a player can receive. I’d put it right up there with “plays like his hair is on fire.” I know that sounds funny, but effort is directly related to toughness. You can’t measure toughness statistically but it’s the most important aspect of a football player’s game. Neither can you measure “coachable-ness,” but you know it when you see it.

Elite 11 coach George Whitfield, nationally known as a QB guru, said he would take the most coachable player “over all of the other ones.” He added this about Ehlinger: “For the coaching [Sam] was trying to take in on the fly, I thought he was brilliant.… He was at ease. Very intelligent and can take schemes and put them right into the play.”

With rave reviews from respected authorities you’d figure Sam was a shoe-in to make The Opening — a word of explanation, only the best 12 of the 24 QBs in the Elite 11 finals get invited to The Opening in Oregon. The Opening is Nike Football’s epic invite-only national football competition held at Nike headquarters every July. Only the best-of-best high school football recruits, who have previously qualified at regional competitions all over the United States, are invited to attend, Top Gun style. The goal of the Elite 11 finals is to qualify for the The Opening. It seems like a no-brainer Sam would be invited.

That’s why I was admittedly perturbed when Ehlinger’s performance was described as “placing himself on the bubble.” On the bubble? Were they actually thinking about not inviting the most coachable quarterback in the competition? I guess being “most coachable” doesn’t guarantee you’re “most elite,” I get that. But I could still hardly believe Sam wouldn’t be ranked among the Top 12 in the end. Trent Dilfer, the Elite 11’s head coach, went so far as to call Ehlinger “a baller” and compared him to unconventional quarterbacks like Tim Tebow and Brett Favre.

It’s true Sam was ranked somewhere around #11 or #12 headed into the last day of competition. But Ehlinger had his name called in the end as he was invited to Beaverton, Oregon for The Opening (July 8th-10th). I won’t be there to see Sam compete, but I’m sure glad Justin and Eric will be.

The point of this article, however, is not to give a recap of Sam’s experience.

Sam Ehlinger. (courtesy of Westlake ISD)

My objective is to make clear Ehlinger was already an elite quarterback. Qualifying for The Opening doesn’t give Sam a status he didn’t previously deserve. The Elite 11 only manifested nationally what the state of Texas already knew.

Let’s look at the facts: in 2015, Sam Ehlinger was the most prolific offensive football player in Texas. He was rightfully named the AP Player of the Year: he threw 50 touchdown passes, for over 3,800 yards, and was intercepted only five times on 391 attempts. That means the Westlake offense averaged 9.8 yards per Ehlinger attempt — not bad. Sam was also the Chaparrals leading rusher: he finished with 1,360 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. As Inside Texas’ Ian Boyd puts it, “Sam was the foundation for the entire Westlake offense.”

The 70 touchdowns (and over 5,000 yards of offense) by one player in one season is nearly unbelievable. But, there have been high school quarterbacks that have scored more. In Jake Browning’s senior year of high school, current starting QB for the Washington Huskies, he threw 91 touchdowns in a single season — 91, believe it or not. Simply having great stats isn’t what makes a quarterback elite though. Statistics can be padded and inflated by playing lesser competition (which makes evaluating players from small schools truly difficult).

What makes Ehlinger’s numbers “elite” and impressive: he accomplished them on the highest level of Texas high school football.

I doubt I need to convince you that 6A football in the state of Texas is as good as it gets in the entire country.

Yes, there are great players all over. Yes, Florida and California produce as much or more Division I talent depending on the year. But, people simply love the game of football in Texas. Football means more here (generally) than it does in other places. The love of the game causes cities all over the state to commit to their football programs. The community gives its time, finances, and undying support to the boys playing. The raw talent, love of the game, and community support creates a depth of competition across the state that is unparalleled anywhere else in the United States.

This is the context in which all of Ehlinger’s touchdowns were scored. He was playing big boy football on a big-time stage, and he led his team all the way to the state championship. Westlake knocked off an Allen team that hadn’t lost since 2012 in the playoffs, and came up only seconds short of winning it all — motivation for this upcoming season, I’m sure.

I’m happy Sam performed well in the Elite 11 finals. I’m happy he qualified for The Opening and I’m sure he’ll represent Texas well, again. But I personally don’t need to see any more to know he belongs among the best QBs in the country. What he’s already put on game film, against the highest level of high school football in the nation, is deserving of every accolade he could be receive.

I’m convinced.